da bwin： As Brendan Rodgers prepares for a season under intense pressure, much has been made of £32.5m star striker Christian Benteke’s role in the team. A departure from your typical ‘Rodgers’ style player, the big Belgian has arrived at the club as their current first choice front man. A stunning volley against Swindon does little to repay such a hefty price tag, but suggests Big Ben might just tick.
da bwin： As Daniel Sturridge recovers from his constant injury problems, the former Aston Villa man will be tasked with succeeding where Rickie Lambert and Mario Balotelli failed so miserably last term. With Lambert now gone, and Balotelli always on the cusp of starring in the next soap opera, Benteke is the man to lead the line.
The imposing 24-year old represents a more direct approach than both Sturridge and Anfield icon Luis Suarez, who performed so valiantly in the 2013/14 campaign. However, with the likes of midfield maestros Philippe Coutinho, Adam Lallana and another marquee man in Roberto Firmino, the new hitman has plenty of ammunition.
It was £29m man Firmino who set up his new team-mate to fire home against Swindon. A clever flick up to the Belgian was met with a no-nonsense wonder strike.
With the Belgian international the focal point of the attack, the Brazilian duo scheming behind him will have a marauding main man to supply. With the skilful England international Adam Lallana also in the squad, there will be no shortage of service.
An impressive ratio of roughly a goal every other game over the past three years will excite those on Merseyside. He’s had to deal with big injuries, an awful Villa side and perhaps most jarringly of all – Tim Sherwood, yet he still plunders Premier League goals. Especially against the Reds.
It is important not to pigeon hole the new Reds number 9 as your typical target man. Plying his trade at Villa after a move from Genk, he carved out a reputation as a prolific striker. Unlike former flop Andy Carroll, he is excellent with the ball at his feet, scaring the life out of Premier League defences.
Comparisons to Carroll are likely to come throughout the season. Luis Suarez he is not, but a proven Premier League goal scorer, he is. Where Lambert lumbered last season, the new man can transform the blunt front line we saw last year into a vibrant attacking hub.
The midfield can swarm around him as he battles back-lines. Before Chelsea parked the bus towards the end of last season, the Blues were able to play exciting football with Diego Costa the spearhead of their attack.
The Spaniard may be a cut above the new Liverpool number 9, but the comparisons are far more apt than those to Lambert and Carroll. Neither are the most nuanced of footballers, but they possess the technical prowess to bring others in to play.
Harder tests will come than Swindon. That much is for sure. The signs, however, are encouraging. If Rodgers can mould the Belgian into a Costa-esque point of the attack, Liverpool can flourish.